All or Nothing
by knk4891
Summary: Having moved on from her ex-boyfriend Alvin, Brittany decides she is ready to explore her mutual attraction with his brother Simon. However, she realizes that she may not be over Alvin as much as she thought. LAST CHAPTER HAS BEEN RESUBMITTED AND EDITED!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the Chipmunk characters... you know that. :P

**A/N:** Well, here it is: _All or Nothing_, sequel to my story _Last Christmas_. If you haven't read _Last Christmas_, I suggest you check it out before reading this story, just so you know what's going on.I'm also going to try to add song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter based on  
>each chapter's mood. Here's a more detailed summary of <em>All or Nothing<em>. I hope you like it:

**SUMMARY: Brittany has returned home from college with an optimistic attitude about her summer break. She gained her confidence back, her relationship with her family has improved, and, best of all, she is completely over her ex-boyfriend, Alvin Seville. Brittany decides she's ready for a new romance, and her neighbor (and Alvin's brother) Simon seems like a perfect candidate. He's smart, nice, cute, and everything Brittany is looking for in a boyfriend. However, Brittany realizes that trying to date her ex-boyfriend's brother might not be as easy as she thought. Will Brittany fall for Simon? Or will an old flame be ignited? Find out in **_**All or Nothing.**_

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><p><em>Blue skies smilin' at me<em>

_Nothin' but blue skies do I see!_

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><p>As the taxi slowly rolled away, Brittany practically skipped toward her front porch. She couldn't hold back her smile as her hot pink flip flops slapped against the ground. Unlike last time she had been home from college (Christmas break), Brittany was actually eager to return to her old house. Things had changed for the better, and she was determined to make this summer vacation a memorable one.<p>

Brittany had spent her spring break in Florida with friends from school, so this would be her first time coming home since winter.

After the drama that had taken place before Christmas, Brittany did her best to enjoy the rest of her winder vacation at home. She spent a lot of time with Simon and Jeanette (her relationship with Eleanor had still been frosty after their argument, and she managed to avoid Alvin surprisingly well) and convinced herself to relax and have fun. She and her sisters also took an aging Miss Miller to the doctor, where she received medication to help with her developing dementia.

With Miss Miller feeling better, Brittany returned to school that January in good spirits. As the months went by, she kept in contact with Simon with frequent e-mails and phone calls. She also called Eleanor a few times, and while they had yet to officially make-up, they were at least on speaking terms. Brittany also chatted with Miss Miller, Jeanette, and even Theodore. However, there was one old acquaintance she hadn't spoken to since Christmas: Alvin.

But that was okay. Brittany was a firm believer in the phrase "out of sight, out of mind." Although she still thought of her ex-boyfriend occasionally, she no longer felt that she was in love with him. She felt so free because of this; it was almost as if she had been trapped by him all this time, and she had broken out of his grasp. She was officially over him.

As Brittany climbed up the porch steps, the front door swung open to reveal her sisters and Miss Miller.

"Brittany!"

Brittany's glossy pink lips spread into a smile as she hurried toward her family. She embraced Jeanette first, since she was standing in front.

"We're glad you're back!" Jeanette said, her voice full of love and sincerity.

"I'm glad to be back," Brittany replied, pleasantly surprised that she actually meant it.

"Well come here, darlin'!" Brittany heard her former guardian say. Miss Miller pulled Brittany into a too-tight hug. "We've missed you, Brittany."

_She remembered my name,_ Brittany thought. It was an obvious improvement from four months ago.

Brittany pulled back and looked at Eleanor, who was standing with her hands behind her back.

"Hey," she said simply.

"Hi Ellie," Brittany said, forcing a smile. She leaned in and gave her sister an awkward hug. Eleanor hugged back, but it was obvious that she was uncomfortable.

_Okay,_ Brittany thought, _so things are still weird between us. Luckily we have all summer to fix it. _

"Welcome home, Brittany!"

Brittany turned to see Dave Seville, along with his sons Simon and Theodore. Theodore was holding a pan of freshly baked brownies.

"Hi guys!" Brittany exclaimed, giving them all a big hug. She hugged Simon the longest. Neither of them had said it in their conversations over the phone, but they were both curious if their relationship could go beyond just being friends. This summer would be the perfect time to find out.

"I baked these for you," Theodore said, proudly displaying the mouth-watering brownies.

"Thanks," Brittany said with a smile. She patted her flat stomach and said, "I _am_ on a diet though, so I can't have too many."

Jeanette smiled. "That sounds like the Brittany we know."

"And love," Brittany added. "But you didn't let me finish. I obviously can't eat these by myself, so I'm going to need some help…"

"Oh!" Theodore's hand shot up. "I'll help!"

Everyone laughed. Brittany felt like they were in a corny sitcom, but she didn't mind. At least everyone was in a pleasant mood, unlike the last time she visited.

"Let's go into the kitchen and eat these up," Miss Miller said. Everyone wandered into the kitchen, but Brittany and Simon stayed behind.

"It's nice to finally see you again," Simon said, giving Brittany a small smile.

"It's great to be home again," Brittany admitted. She grabbed Simon's hand. "And we are going to have _so_ much fun this summer."

Simon laughed. "Really? Doing what?"

"Just being together," Brittany said with a shrug. "I mean, we've wasted all these years just being neighbors, and now we're actually friends. You haven't seen how much fun I can be."

"Oh I think I have," Simon said, raising an eyebrow. "You were one of the people who came up with the _fun _idea of travelling around the world in a hot air balloon when we were nine."

Brittany rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Whatever. You know you enjoyed it."

Simon snorted. "Hardly. That was the most stressful two weeks of my life!"

"Enough talk about the past," Brittany said, pulling Simon into the kitchen. "Let's just focus on the future and how amazing this summer is going to be."

Brittany looked at her family and the Sevilles in the crowded kitchen. The playful arguing of who got the biggest piece of brownie was music to Brittany's ears. She loved that everyone was together.

"Oh, Brittany," Dave said, pouring milk into glasses on the counter. "I forgot to tell you… Alvin couldn't make it to your welcome home celebration." Dave smiled apologetically. "He said he had plans."

"That's okay, Dave," Brittany replied. "Actually, I didn't even notice he wasn't here."

That was the truth, too. Despite the fact that his whole family was at her house, she hadn't even thought about Alvin. She was truly, completely, totally 100% over him.

And with that thought branded in her mind, she happily took a huge bite of soft, chocolaty brownie.

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><p>So… what did ya think? Please leave me a review! You know how much I love reviews!<p>

Song Used: _Blue Skies_ (Various Artists)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here's another chapter, friends. Brittany decides to confront Alvin for the first time in months to call something of a "truce." Alvin's reaction isn't exactly what she expected. Hope you enjoy it! Please send some reviews my way; they are VERY much appreciated.

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><p><em>After all that we've been through<em>

_I know we're cool_

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><p>Brittany twirled in front of her full-length mirror. She was going to hang out with Simon today, and she had changed her outfit six times instead of her usual two. She smoothed down her denim skirt and adjusted her lemon camisole.<p>

_Why am I stressing out about this so much? _Brittany wondered. After all, this was _Simon_ she was talking about. He probably wouldn't mind if she showed up to his house wearing a paper bag. And besides, it wasn't like they were going on a real _date_ or anything… well, it _technically_ wasn't a date. They were just going to grab a bite to eat and maybe take a walk through town or something. But Brittany couldn't help but think of it as a date; it seemed like a bigger deal than just "hanging out."

Brittany's thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone ringing on her bed. She grinned when she saw who was calling.

"Hey Simon," she chirped.

"Hi," Simon said. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be a little late for our… um…"

Brittany giggled. She knew he was blushing. "Get-together?" she offered.

"Yeah," Simon said quickly. "That." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I got held up at the library, so it'll be a while until I can get home."

Brittany would have never thought that one of her dates would be tardy because he was at the _library _too long. She also never thought that she would actually be okay with it.

"That's fine, Simon," Brittany said. "I'll just wait at your house."

"Okay," Simon said. "I'll see you soon."

Brittany smirked. "Soon? At the speed you drive? I'm not so sure."

"There's nothing wrong with being a safe driver," Simon pointed out.

"Right." Brittany rolled her blue eyes up to the ceiling, wondering how she could find this over-cautious nerd so adorable. "See you later."

"You'll see me _soon_," Simon promised, making Brittany laugh as she hung up the phone.

Brittany grabbed her purse, went downstairs, and stepped onto her front porch. She began to walk across the street to the Sevilles' house, but froze when she looked up and saw who was in their driveway.

A tan, well-built guy was shooting baskets. He wore long, baggy shorts and expensive looking tennis shoes. The most obvious thing about him was the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Alvin.

Brittany had thought it was so easy forgetting about Alvin. After all, "out of sight, out of mind." Only now he wasn't out of sight… he was very much in sight, his bare torso glistening in the sun from sweat.

Brittany let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. For a moment, she considered going back into the house and coming out when Simon got home. But she quickly changed her mind. She knew this moment would come; she knew she would have to face him sooner or later. Brittany was determined to act like a mature adult about the situation, so she marched over to the large house across the street.

Alvin was dribbling the ball against the pavement when Brittany got within a few feet of him. She felt nervous and mousy for a few seconds, but told herself to get over. Standing up straighter, she finally spoke.

"Hi Alvin."

Alvin picked up the orange ball and turned around. Brittany tightened the grip on her purse. She wondered how he would react after seeing her for the first time in months. Would he grin and try to flirt with her? Would he drop to his knees and beg for her to take him back? Would he scowl and flip her the bird?

But Alvin didn't do anything of that. In fact, he didn't have much of a reaction at all. He simply took a quick glance at her and said, "Hey." Then he faced the basket and shot the ball.

_Swoosh._

Brittany blinked a few times. That was it? After all the things that had been said last time they were together, after all the emotions that were poured out by both of them… "hey" was all he could say?

"Well," Brittany muttered under her breath, "that was underwhelming."

For a few minutes, the only sounds around them were birds chirping, a lawn mower in the distance, and Alvin's basketball hitting the pavement and hitting the back board. Brittany awkwardly rocked on her heels, wondering if she should say something.

Then she decided she should say something. Brittany told herself that she'd be mature about the situation. She and Alvin needed to make amends. She wasn't going to spend the rest of the summer feeling uncomfortable around him.

"Hey, Alvin," she said.

Alvin dribbled the ball between his legs a few times before shooting a lay-up. Either he didn't hear Brittany, or he was ignoring her. Brittany was betting on the latter.

"Alvin," she said again.

_Bounce. Bounce. Swoosh. _

"ALVIN!"

To Brittany's dismay, Alvin continued to dribble the ball when he finally said, "What?"

As Alvin shot the ball again, Brittany marched over and caught it when it bounced off the side of the rim. If there was one thing Brittany couldn't stand, it was being ignored.

"I have to talk to you," Brittany said, trying to ignore the fact that the basketball was dirty and probably at least ten years old.

Alvin sighed, visibly annoyed.

Brittany took a deep breath. "Look," she said, "I know things didn't go very well between us last time I was here." Brittany paused and looked at Alvin for some kind of reaction. He just looked bored. "I just think we should, you know, start over as friends. After all, we're going to be living across the street from each other, and I don't want things to be awkward between us."

Alvin was silent when Brittany paused again. Why was he being so weird and quiet? It was frustrating; she couldn't tell if he was angry or upset. He just looked at her with a vacant expression.

"So," Brittany finally said. "Can we just forget about everything that happened?"

"Already forgotten," Alvin said nonchalantly.

_What's that supposed to mean?_ Brittany wondered. Did that mean he was over her? Did he really mean that? Was he just saying that so she'd go away?

"Um, okay," Brittany said. "So we're cool?"

Alvin shrugged. "I guess."

Before Brittany could say anything back, Alvin snatched the ball from her hands. He dribbled away from her without another word.

As she watched him shoot a jump shot, Brittany wasn't quite sure how to feel. She wanted to feel good that they had agreed that they were "cool" now, but something didn't feel right. Alvin was acting so strange, like he didn't even care. Hell, he hadn't even checked her out in her short skirt and tiny camisole. Those kind of outfits _never _failed to get Alvin's attention. Now he hardly bothered glancing at her; she had to take away his stupid basketball to get him to pay the slightest amount of attention to her.

_Why does it bother me that he doesn't care?_ Brittany thought. Alvin was being super casual about the whole thing; this was _good._ It was better than last time, when he shamelessly flirted with her and acted like a jackass when she insisted that wanted nothing to do with him. But now he was being totally calm about it. He had clearly moved on, and so had she. End of story.

She sighed with relief when she saw Simon's car pull in the driveway a few moments later. Without hesitation, Brittany hurried toward the car and practically threw herself inside without looking back at Alvin.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Simon said, his voice full of sincerity.

"Its fine," Brittany said, checking her refection in the rearview mirror, a habit she had whenever she entered a vehicle.

As they pulled out of the driveway, Simon asked, "Were you talking to Alvin?"

"Yeah," Brittany said casually. "I was."

"Oh," Simon said with a nod. He cleared his throat. "Is that the first time you've talked since… well, you know."

"Yes." Brittany leaned against the soft seats. "Yes, it was. I told him that we should forget about what happened during Christmas break and start over as friends."

Simon nodded again. "How did he take it?"

Brittany shrugged. "Okay, I guess. He seemed like he didn't really want to talk to me though."

Simon chuckled. "He was probably just tired. He most likely just got home."

"Just got home?" Brittany repeated. It was almost eleven in the morning."From where?"

Simon shrugged. "A party? Some girl's house? Alvin has been more of a night owl than usual lately. He leaves the house around seven or eight every night, comes home late morning, then sleeps until dinner."

"Does Dave know about this?" Brittany asked. She found it hard to believe that Dave let his son sleep all day and party all night, despite the fact that Alvin was legally an adult.

"Dave has been swamped with work lately," Simon said. "He's at work when Alvin is asleep and in bed when he's out. I think he just assumes Alvin is sleeping when he leaves in the morning. Not to mention, he spends so many nights out of town on business." Simon shook his head. "I know Dave won't admit it, but he's almost too busy to notice Alvin's antics anymore"

Brittany stared ahead, soaking in the news. Dave was too busy to pay attention to his most mischievous son? It just didn't seem possible. When Alvin and Brittany had been dating, Alvin was constantly complaining how Dave was always checking up on him and watching his every move. Brittany had always thought Alvin had brought it upon himself; after all, he _was_ a trouble maker, and she understood why Dave was so strict about his curfew and asked a million questions about where he and Brittany were going on their dates.

But now it sounded like Alvin finally had all the freedom he had longed for all these years.  
>This made her feel a bit uneasy; she knew what Alvin was capable of.<p>

"Are you all right, Brittany?" Simon asked, after a few moments of silence went by.

"Yeah," Brittany said quickly. "I'm just surprised to hear this about Dave, that's all. I hope he isn't too stressed."

"He'll be fine," Simon said. "He always gets busy around summer, since that's when kids have the most time to send in tapes and demos. Once school starts, things should slow down."

"That's good," Brittany said. She had always seen Dave as the perfect dad; he was practically a father to her and her sisters. Brittany couldn't imagine him losing track of his boys, no matter how old they got.

Then again, Brittany knew it was none of her business. Alvin could do whatever he wanted; after all, he was an adult. He was no longer a big part of Brittany's life, so she didn't have to worry about him.

Brittany started talking to Simon about what they were going to do for the day and forgot about Alvin quickly. She was glad that she had decided to talk to him and make amends. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

_Now that that whole thing is taken care of, _she thought with a grin, _let the summer fun begin._

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><p>Remember, I'm open to reader's suggestions (I have used some in the past!). Please review!<p>

Song used: _Cool_ (Gwen Stefani)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I know I'm always encouraging reviewers to be honest, and I guess I appreciate that. However, one review really got under my skin. The person said my last chapter was "boring." This upset me, but I went back and reread the chapter and decided it was a little boring. Maybe it wasn't completely dull, but it wasn't very exciting. I know this story is supposed to be a drama, and isn't supposed to be super action-packed or anything, but I don't want my readers to be bored. But I think it comes off that way because a lot of that chapter was focused on Brittany's thoughts, and there wasn't a whole lot of dialogue; that's my take on it anyway. If anyone has a suggestion on how to liven things up, be my guest. I don't want to be known as boring. And no, I'm not bitter, and I appreciate the honesty, but I just wanted to get that off my chest. Anyway, enjoy the chapter…

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><p><em>Well I thought I was over you<em>

_But I guess maybe I'm not. _

_But when I let you go_

_Looks like lonely was all that I got._

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><p><em>Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. <em>

Brittany sighed as she lay in bed, listening to the quiet ticks of her wristwatch on her nightstand. It was almost four o'clock in the morning and she was wide awake for the most frustrating reason.

She was thinking about Alvin.

Again.

It had been nearly three days since their conversation in the Seville's driveway; or, to be more accurate,_ lack_ of conversation. Despite the great time with Simon that followed, Brittany couldn't get her encounter with Alvin out of her head.

Why didn't he want to talk to her? Last time she visited, he was all over her. He _slept _with her for Pete's sake! Now he didn't even look at her.

The more Brittany thought about it, the more she figured that Alvin was just up to one of his stupid mind tricks. He probably had her right in his trap; ignoring her so that she'd wonder why he was ignoring her, thus making her think about him. It was like he was playing a bizarre game of Hard to Get; some sort of crazy reverse psychology thing.

Brittany sighed and climbed out of bed to grab a magazine off her desk. She needed a distraction. Whenever she thought too hard about Alvin, she ended up acting crazy. Brittany couldn't let that happen again.

As she walked back to her bed, something out the window caught Brittany's eye. She saw two figures making their way down the street. As they walked under a street lamp, the light revealed them to be Alvin and a thin brunette. They were holding hands and stumbling a bit, as if they were drunk. Knowing Alvin, there was no doubt in Brittany's mind that they were.

Brittany watched as they awkwardly made their way to Alvin's house. The dark haired girl laughed when Alvin put a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. They walked toward the side of the house, probably to the back door where Alvin usually snuck girls in (or where he used to sneak Brittany in, at least).

Alvin suddenly stopped walking and pushed the giggly skinny girl against the house. He quickly brought his mouth to hers and kissed her as hard as he could. She kissed him equally as hard; in the blink of an eye, her fingers were tangled in his hair and his hands were up her shirt. Even though it was dark and she was several feet away and above them, Brittany could've sworn she saw tongue.

After what seemed like hours, a satisfied Alvin pulled away and practically dragged his slutty friend behind the house.

"Wow," Brittany said to herself after they disappeared. "I guess this means he's over me."

So much for the mind games.

Although if it was part of Alvin's trick, it would have worked. Brittany felt a twinge of jealousy when she saw Alvin groping the mystery girl, and she was mature enough to admit it.

But that was only natural. She had been with Alvin half her life. It was perfectly normal to feel a little envious that he was making out with a girl, despite the fact they haven't dated in over a year. It was probably normal to wish that Alvin was forcefully kissing _her_ up against his house instead of that skinny tramp.

Yeah. Totally normal.

That's what Brittany kept telling herself before she finally drifted off to sleep almost two hours later.

…

Thankfully, over the next few days, Brittany did eventually find other things to keep her mind off of Alvin. She hung out with Simon and her sisters (things weren't totally comfortable with Eleanor yet, but they were getting there), and she had even called up a few old friends to go shopping with her at the mall.

On Friday, Brittany spent a good portion of her afternoon hanging out with Claire Newberry and Marissa Magnesun, two of her friends from high school. Brittany hadn't seen them in two years, but when they reunited, it felt as if she had never left them.

While picking at their salads in the food court, Claire casually asked, "So Brittany, why haven't we seen you at any parties?"

Back in high school, Brittany had almost always accompanied Alvin to parties. Sometimes they would hit four or five different houses in one night, earning a reputation as "the party couple." Brittany had enjoyed being known as a party animal at first, but it got tiring after a while. She constantly had to pick out new party outfits, and she hated beer (but she drank it anyway, in fear that her friends would think she was a dork if she didn't). Not to mention she constantly had to put up with Alvin flirting with drunk, horny girls. He'd always try to convince her that it was harmless, but Brittany never believed him; therefore, most nights of partying ended up in Brittany crying or yelling at him.

"Aren't we a little old for parties?" Brittany asked, playing with the straw in her Diet Coke.

Claire and Marissa looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "No!" they both cried.

Brittany forced a smile, wondering how she could break it to them that she wasn't a party girl anymore. It wasn't like she could tell them that she spent most of her free time hanging out with Simon Seville, who wouldn't take her to a party even if she wanted to go.

Wait a minute—yes she could. It wasn't like she had to go against the politics of high school anymore. She didn't care who knew about her and Simon.

"I don't go to parties because Simon doesn't want to," Brittany said coolly.

"Simon?" Marissa's perfectly plucked eyebrows shot up. "As in, Simon Seville?"

"That's him."

Claire looked at Brittany curiously. "Why does it matter what Simon thinks?"

"Well," Brittany hesitated, wondering how she should categorize her relationship with Simon. "Simon and I are kind of… dating. I mean, we're not official or anything but… I think there's something there."

Brittany watched the pretty girls carefully, ready to defend Simon. She was prepared for a snotty remark about his nerdiness.

But instead, Claire just nodded and said, "Cool."

"That's nice, Brittany," Marissa chimed in before spearing a piece of lettuce with her fork.

Brittany blinked in surprise. "Wait, so you guys are okay with that?"

Both girls shrugged. "Sure. Why wouldn't we be?"

"You don't care that he's kind of, well…" Brittany lowered her voice, "dorky?"

Claire let out an airy laugh. "Whatever, Brittany, it's not like we're in high school anymore. Labeling people is so juvenile."

"Agreed," Marissa said, tucking a piece of auburn hair behind her double-pierced ears. "Besides, I've always thought Simon was kind of cute. He always has that geek-chic thing going on, you know?"

Brittany felt herself smile genuinely this time. This was unbelievable. People were accepting the fact that she liked someone who they used to deem as a total dork.

However, Brittany's smile faded when Claire said, "It's kind of weird that you're interested in your ex's brother."

"Yeah," Marissa said. "Talk about awkward. You know, after everything that happened."

"You guys heard about that?" Brittany said flatly.

"Oh, Sweetie," Claire said with sympathy. "_Everyone_ knows about that."

"Great," Brittany sighed before sipping her Coke.

Marissa leaned across the table. "Is it true that he cheated on you with Eleanor?"

Brittany choked on her drink. "No! God, Marissa, no!"

Marissa leaned back. "Sorry. I guess it was just a rumor."

"Yeah, well, don't believe everything you hear," Brittany muttered. Although Marissa wasn't totally wrong. Alvin and Eleanor had hooked up, but it was after Brittany had broken up with him. It still bothered Brittany to this day; not so much the fact that they got together in general, but the fact that Eleanor would even consider going out with the guy who broke her sister's heart. Not to mention that Eleanor lied about it later.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me," Brittany said confidently. "I'm over Alvin."

"That's good," Marissa said with a nod, "because he's hooked up with every girl in the city at least twice."

"Marissa!" Claire gasped.

"No, it's okay," Brittany assured, even though Marissa's comment did sting a little. "Like I said, I'm over him. Alvin can do whatever he wants with whoever he wants. It's none of my business."

"Wow, Britt," Claire said in awe. "I can't believe how well you're taking all this. I mean, what you went through must have really sucked. But here you are being all, like, mature and stuff."

"Yeah," Marissa agreed. "Oh, and for the record, I never hooked up with Alvin. Like, ever."

"Me neither," Claire said, her blue eyes wide with innocence. "I mean, a few weeks ago at Casey's party he tried to flirt with me, and I sort of flirted back, but not enough to really lead him on or anything. Even though I'm pretty sure he was looking down my shirt, but that wasn't really his fault because I was wearing that lime green camisole that makes me boobs look really good." Claire flipped her dark blond hair away from her face. "But it was only a little harmless flirting, I _swear_."

Brittany couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, girls."

"No problem." Claire smiled back, showing her perfect white teeth.

The trio talked a little more before hitting the shops again. Brittany had learned about some "killer" (to use Marissa's term) parties going on the next night. Hearing her friends talk about them did get Brittany excited. It would be nice to let loose and have some fun on a Saturday night.

Not that being with Simon wasn't fun; Brittany always enjoyed being with him. But she needed something new, something exciting.

"So I think we're going to spend most of the time at Joey Baker's house," Claire was saying. She looked at Brittany expectantly. "Are you coming, Britt?"

"I don't think so…" Brittany said.

"Oh come on, Brittany!" Marissa whined. "It'll be fun!"

"Nah," Brittany decided. "I'm hanging out with Simon tonight, and he wouldn't want to go. Besides, I'm kind of over the whole partying scene, you know?"

"But you're in college," Claire pointed out. "You should_ live_ for parties at this age."

Brittany grinned. "Thanks girls, but I'm sitting this one out."

After eating, the friends shopped some more. To Brittany's relief, they didn't ask her about going to Joey's party again. Secretly, Brittany did sort of want to go. But Simon would never go for it, and she figured that maybe it was best if she didn't go. After all, it was one of the many things she had gotten over in the last year.

…

Later that evening, Brittany let herself in the Seville's house. It was practically her second home, so she never bothered knocking. Although not knocking led to disastrous results last Christmas, Brittany couldn't let the habit go.

"Simon!" Brittany called in the empty foyer. "I'm here!"

"I'll be down shortly!" Simon's voice came from upstairs.

Brittany smirked to herself. Simon just said "shortly." Who talks like that anymore?

She heard the TV and wandered into the living room. Alvin was sitting on the couch watching a basketball game. According to the announcer, it was the NBA play-offs. Alvin never missed any sport's play-offs.

Brittany tried to ignore the flutter in her chest as she sat next to him.

"Hey," she said casually.

Alvin tilted his chin up slightly, and Brittany assumed it was some sort of greeting.

"So," Brittany said, crossing her legs. "Got any plans for tonight?"

"Always," Alvin replied.

The game went to a commercial, but Alvin's eyes never left the screen. He never even snuck a peek at her bare, crossed legs, which displayed a healthy tan against her white skirt.

"Where are you going?" Brittany asked.

Finally, Alvin glanced at her. "Why do you care?" he asked. There was no amusement in his voice, which made Brittany feel incredibly uneasy.

"I was just trying to make conversation," Brittany said.

Alvin shrugged and focused on the television again. "I'm going to Joey's party."

"Oh," Brittany said with a nod. "Cool."

"I guess," Alvin said, staring at a Gatorade commercial.

The two sat in silence. Brittany knew he wanted her to leave, and she didn't know what to make of it. Alvin was never this cold when they fought when they were dating. He would get angry at her, but he would never ignore her.

"So," Brittany said, trying again. "You got a girlfriend?"

Alvin turned toward her and raised his eyebrows. Brittany was just glad she actually got a reaction from him. For a minute there, she thought she'd have to check his pulse.

"I'm just wondering," Brittany said coolly. "So do you?"

"Not really," Alvin answered.

"Not really, huh?" Brittany grinned. "So I guess that means you're hooking up with someone."

"You could say that," Alvin said vaguely.

Brittany expected him to elaborate, but he didn't. She sighed. Why did she care anyway?

"Are you ready to go, Brittany?"

Brittany turned around to see Simon standing behind the couch, looking effortlessly handsome in his sky blue polo and khaki shorts.

"Bye Alvin," Brittany said when she stood up. It was a good thing she wasn't expecting a good-bye back, because he didn't give her one.

…

"You want to go to a _what?"_ Simon asked, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

"You heard me." Brittany was sitting across Simon at a Mexican restaurant. Simon said she could pick where to go after dinner tonight, and, as she expected, he was less than thrilled about her suggestion. "I want to go to a party."

"What kind of party?" Simon asked. "The kind with a magic show and clowns that make balloon animals?"

"No," Brittany said slowly. "The kind with a keg and music playing so loud that you feel the bass."

"Damn," Simon said disappointedly.

"Oh come on, Si," Brittany said with a playful grin. "It might be fun."

Simon looked at her curiously. "Didn't you tell me that you were over parties?"

"Well, yeah," Brittany said, feeling uncomfortable. A few hours, she had thought the same thing. But after thinking about it, she decided to give it a try. She needed a night to just relax and let loose. "But I thought it would be something different."

"I don't know, Brittany," Simon sighed. "I don't think anything good can come from this."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "God, Simon, it's not like I'm going to get drunk and ditch you for some other dude. I just want to dance and chill out for a while. Besides, it's cheaper than going to a movie."

"Fine," Simon reluctantly agreed. Brittany figured she could persuade him by comparing prices. Simon was as conservative about spending money as he was at driving by the rules. "But just for a little while, okay?"

Brittany beamed. "Don't worry, Simon. I'll make sure you have fun."

Simon gave a little smirk as the waiter handed him their check. "You'd better."

* * *

><p>I know this chapter is kind of short and uneventful, but I figured I'd save some stuff for the next chapter. Thanks for reading, and please review.<p>

Song Used: _Songs About Rain_ (Gary Allan)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Why do I always write about parties? Seriously, there is at least one party in almost all of my stories. Hmm. Well, hope you all enjoy this one! I certainly enjoyed writing it!

* * *

><p><em>I don't care what they say<em>

_I'm in love with you._

_They try to pull me away_

_But they don't know the truth_

* * *

><p>"I thought you said this was going to be fun!" Simon yelled over the Top 40 song blasting through the expensive stereo system. Lingering in the doorway, Brittany observed the wild dancing and loud laughing from her peers.<p>

"Relax," Brittany replied with a smile. "It will be. We just got here."

Simon frowned as a guy ran past them wearing nothing but his underwear and a lamp shade on his head. "You're sure you want to be here?"

"I'm sure," Brittany said. She looped her arm around Simon's. "C'mon, let's mingle."

She ignored Simon's miserable sigh as she led him to the huge living room. Joey Baker was a year ahead of Brittany in school, and thanks to his large house and swimming pool, Joey's house was always a favorite party destination for Alvin and her friends. Joey's house had hosted many infamous events; the time there was that big cat fight between those cheerleaders during her freshman year, and the time popular girl Elise Larkin hooked up with nerd Billy Jameson in Joey's parent's room. Then there was the time Brittany, Claire, and Tessa Campbell drunkenly danced to Def Leppard's _Pour Some Sugar on Me_ on Joey's dining room table at two o'clock on a Sunday morning. Brittany couldn't remember the event, but the blurry videos of the infamous dancing was probably still on dozens of camera phones for the world to see.

"Brittany! You came!"

Brittany recognized Marissa's high-pitched voice immediately. She and Claire were holding red plastic cups, waving her over.

"I thought you said you were over parties," Claire said after giving Brittany a hug.

"I did," Brittany admitted. "But I decided you guys were right. A little excitement will do me some good. You two remember Simon, right?"

Simon, Marissa, and Claire exchanged polite greetings before something got his attention in the distance.

"Is that Paul and Brant?" Simon said, referring to his less-than-popular friends from high school.

Marissa's large eyes followed Simon's gaze. "Yeah, they usually come to stuff like this."

"They do?" Simon asked in disbelief.

"Sure," Claire said with a shrug. She grinned at Brittany. "See, I told you we're not into that judgmental stuff anymore."

Simon glanced at Brittany. "Do you mind if I go over and say hi? I haven't seen these guys in ages."

"Go ahead," Brittany encouraged, glad that Simon might find people to talk to.

Brittany watched Simon walk toward his former friends. She only half-listened to whatever Claire and Marissa were gossiping about as she scanned the crowd for familiar faces. She saw many people she knew from school; and Claire was right, cliques didn't seem to matter as much anymore. Brittany saw some jocks, a few band geeks, a group of skaters…

That's when she saw her.

Her blonde hair was a shade lighter than it had been the first time Brittany saw her, but it was definitely her.

Brittany's heart caught in her throat. It was girl she caught Alvin hooking up with in his room the Christmas before last.

"Brittany?"

Brittany blinked and faced her friends, who were looking at her with confused expressions.

"Are you okay?" Claire asked.

Feeling a bit sick to her stomach, Brittany nodded toward the girl. "Who is that? The girl in the orange sundress."

"Oh, that's Amber," Claire said.

"Does she live around here?"

"She's Victoria Lantz's cousin," Claire answered, referring to a former classmate. "I guess she and Victoria are really close, so she visits whenever she can."

Brittany watched Amber twist some golden hair around her index finger when she talked to a tall, muscular guy. He probably had a girlfriend too.

"Where is she from?" Brittany wanted to know.

"San Diego," Claire said at the same time Marissa said, "San Francisco." They looked at each other and laughed.

"I don't know," Claire admitted. "One of the Sans. Why are you so interested, Britt?"

"Just curious," Brittany muttered. Seeing Amber was bringing all the memories from that horrible day back. She was smiling the exact same way at this guy the same way she smiled at Alvin in his bed. Brittany could suddenly see everything; Alvin's dreamy, faraway look, Amber's red bra and thong, Brittany dropping Alvin's Christmas present… it was all coming back to her.

"Brittany!" Marissa waved her hand in front of Brittany's face. "What is up with you?"

"Nothing," Brittany said, shaking her head. So what if that girl was here? Why should it ruin Brittany's good time? All that stuff with Alvin was in the past. "I need a drink."

Claire and Marissa beamed. "That's the spirit!"

Unable to focus on anything else, Brittany made her way through the crowd. She got pushed and bumped by people dancing and drunkenly stumbling around, but she eventually made it to Joey's large kitchen. She wasted no time heading for the keg in the middle of the room.

Brittany took her drink into the living room. Except for the quick, casual, "Hey, Brittany!" no one was really speaking to her. They probably didn't know what to say; it was obvious everyone knew about what happened to her and Alvin, the former "it" couple in town.

Brittany sipped on her drink, feeling strangely out of place. She saw some pretty girls in the middle of living room shaking their skinny asses to the loud beat, their tank tops riding up to reveal pierced belly buttons. A few years ago, Brittany would have been right with them, loving every second of being the center of attention. Guys whooped and hollered at the girls, placing their hands on their firm bodies as they danced.

Brittany watched them in envy as she took a long swig of beer. She was suddenly determined that she would join them by the end of the night. She just needed a few more drinks to put her in the mood.

The Chipette wandered further into the room. Joey, the host of the party, was sandwiched between two busty girls with streaked hair. Brittany couldn't help but laugh at Joey's happy face. He had a reputation for not remembering his own parties, and it was easy to see why.

Just as Brittany was starting to loosen up a little, she spotted Alvin lounging on one of the loveseats. A girl was with him, but not the thin brunette who snuck in his house earlier that week. This girl had wavy strawberry blond hair and long, tanned legs. She was snuggled against Alvin, his arm was draped around her shoulder, making no effort to hide the fact that he was staring down her blouse (Although it was almost impossible not to stare; her outfit left little to the imagination).

Once again, Brittany felt that twinge of jealousy. She hated the lustful way he was looking at her, they way his fingers casually played with a piece of her long, shiny hair. Meanwhile, he wouldn't even give Brittany the time of day, even though she had tried to make peace with him.

Brittany sighed and looked at her almost-empty red cup. She was going to need something stronger than beer, so she finished her drink and marched to the backyard. She knew Joey's parents had an outside bar that he frequently kept open during summer parties.

Brittany stayed outside for a while and quickly downed some tequila. She hadn't had this much alcohol in a long time, but she could feel it starting to effect her. As the liquid rushed through her veins, she started feeling lighter than before. She found herself striking up conversations with people in the backyard, and even dancing a bit. Eventually people began piling in the hot tub, and Brittany instantly hated herself for not bringing a swim suit. She decided that if she started feeling too left out, she'd go ahead and get in with her clothes on.

Three drinks later, as Brittany was shaking her hips to a Black Eyed Peas song, she felt her cell phone vibrate in the back pocket of her shorts. She pulled it out and blinked a few times to read the text message clearly: _Where are you?_ It was from Simon.

"Crap," she muttered. She didn't know how long she had been in the backyard, but it had been a while since she had seen Simon, who was technically her date. She figured she should go inside and find him. He probably wouldn't be too pleased by the fact that she was a little tipsy, but she could still think somewhat clearly. Who knows, maybe Simon was letting loose himself. Perhaps they could even dance together.

Brittany grinned at the thought as she started walking toward the screen door. Right before she got there, the door slid open, revealing the curvy girl Alvin had been cuddling. The girl walked past Brittany and headed toward the bar.

Brittany stood up straighter and walked toward the girl. Suddenly, she was feeling unusually talkative.

"Hey," Brittany said, sliding up to the girl, who was mixing some drinks in a tall glass.

"Hey," she replied, not looking up.

Brittany drummed her fingers on the bar, a smile plastered on her face.

"Can I help you with something?" the girl asked. Brittany hadn't realized she had been staring at her, but the girl's slight annoyance implied that she was.

"What's your name?" Brittany wanted to know.

"Kristen."

Brittany nodded. "Where are you from?"

Kristen still didn't look up, but her eyebrows knit together. "I'm from Greensburg," she said, referring to a town about twenty minutes away. "Why do you ask?"

"How old are you?" Brittany asked. Kristen opened her mouth to say something, but Brittany decided to get to the point. "I saw you with Alvin Seville."

Kristen finally turned to face Brittany. Brittany couldn't help but stare at her huge boobs, which were barely concealed by her shirt. If Kristen sneezed, she would flash the whole party.

"Yeah, I was with Alvin." Kristen put her hands on her hips. "Why?"

"Well," Brittany sighed. "I just think you should know about him. He's sort of… well, _dangerous._ He's a total player, actually." Brittany took a drink from her cup. In the last ten minutes, she had switched to brandy. She loved the way the alcohol burned her throat on the way down. "I just thought you should know. I mean, I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything."

Kristen rolled her eyes, which were a muddy brown color. Brittany couldn't help but think how much prettier her eyes were than Kristen's.

"Thanks for your concern," she sneered at Brittany. "But I think I can handle it from here."

Kristen started to walk away, but Brittany grabbed her wrist. "Wait!"

"_What?"_ Kristen hissed.

"You should find another guy," Brittany blurted. "Alvin is just trying to get in your pants. Like I said, he's just a player. He's nothing but a…"

Kristen pried Brittany's hand off her arm and looked at Brittany carefully. Suddenly, she grinned as if she had just figured out some scandalous secret.

"Wait a minute," Kristen said, cocking her head to the side. "I know who you are. You're Alvin's ex-girlfriend. Brittany, right?"

Brittany blinked. How could this girl know her? They lived in different towns.

"Everyone knows who you are," Kristen said, as if she was reading Brittany's mind. "You were like the celebrity couple of our area."

Brittany wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or offended by the sarcasm in Kristen's voice. "Look, this really doesn't have anything to do with me," Brittany said. "It's just better if you stay away from him."

"Better for who?" Kristen asked. "Me or you?"

Brittany's hands turned to fists at her sides. Unfortunately, the alcohol was making it tough for her brain to muster up a decent comeback.

"That's what I thought," Kristen said in a bored voice. "Now please, mind your own business. Alvin has obviously moved on, and you should too." Kristen gave her a condescending look. "It's just not healthy, sweetie."

Kristen sauntered off before Brittany could say anything.

"That _bitch_," she hissed. Brittany was just trying to be nice. She didn't want to see someone get hurt by Alvin again.

Brittany reached for more liquor and muttered, "Who am I kidding?" She wasn't trying to get Kristen away from Alvin to help Kristen; she just wanted her to reject Alvin. It was about time Alvin got a taste of his own medicine.

Or maybe she just wanted her away from Alvin because she was jealous.

Brittany shook her head and downed some more alcohol, desperate to shake that thought from her mind. Her phone vibrated again. This time she had two missed calls and another text from Simon.

After refilling her cup with as much liquid it could hold, Brittany wandered back inside. She wove through the crowd, looking for Simon, but not having any luck. After a while, she found herself in the living room, jumping around and singing her lungs out to a pop song. She figured there was no point in looking anymore; Simon would find her eventually.

Brittany was dancing up against some guy she vaguely remembered from high school when she spotted Alvin and Kristen on the loveseat. She grinned smugly to herself, thinking how much more fun she was having than them. Alvin probably hadn't left that stupid couch since he got there. What a loser.

However, Brittany felt herself stop dancing when Kristen leaned forward and kissed Alvin on the lips. As Alvin kissed back, Brittany could've sworn she saw Kristen glance at her and give an evil wink. Without thinking, Brittany marched over. She hovered over the pair, and Kristen was first to look up.

"Can we help you?" she rudely asked.

"You don't get it do you?" Brittany asked. "I'm tried to warn you about him, and you're not listening."

Kristen rolled her eyes and looked at Alvin, who looked somewhat amused. It was the most interest he had shown toward Brittany in months. "I _told_ you," she said. "I told you she was bugging me."

"You know what? I don't even know why I came over here!" Brittany spat. She suddenly felt a little dizzy, but she tried to ignore it.

"You came over here because you're jealous," Kristen retorted.

Brittany narrowed her eyes, trying to look threatening. Unfortunately, the alcohol was making her momentarily forget why she was there in the first place. She found herself struggling to remember who she was talking to and what they were talking about.

"Whatever," Brittany murmured. "I don't even care anymore."

"Good," Kristen snapped. "Now leave."

Brittany felt anger surge through her body. No one talked to her like that.

"You can't tell me what to do," Brittany said loudly, making a few people nearby glance at her. "Why are you being such a bitch anyway? I was just trying to get you to stay away from him." She pointed an unsteady finger at Alvin, who was casually drinking out of a beer can.

Kristen's nostrils flared as she stood up from the couch. "Get it through your head!" she yelled over the music. "Alvin doesn't care about you anymore. He can do _whatever_ he wants with _whoever_ he wants. Besides," Kristen smirked, "after all the girls he's been with lately, you're not even close to meeting his standards anymore."

Brittany was having difficulty processing what Kristen had just said, (her brain wasn't reacting quickly enough to the events happening around her, a feeling that she should have been enjoying, being at a party and all) but from what she could gather, it was implied that she wasn't good enough for Alvin. But why would Kristen say that? She didn't know Brittany, and how would she know what Alvin's standards were. Hell, from what it sounded like, Alvin was being too much of a man whore to have any standards at all.

Kristen, smiling at the fact Brittany was to the point of drunkenness that she didn't understand her, turned to Alvin and said, "Why don't we go somewhere a little more _private_, Alvin?"

It was at that moment that Brittany felt a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly she was face-to-face with Simon.

"Brittany, where have you been?" Simon asked, obviously peeved that she had ditched him. "Didn't you get my messages?" Brittany nodded. "Then why didn't you call back?"

Brittany blinked. "I didn't think about it," she slurred. The room suddenly looked like it was tilting over, and Brittany stumbled a bit. She grabbed Simon's shoulder for support.

Simon frowned and looked at her carefully. "Brittany, are you…"

"Drunk?" Kristen finished his sentence. "Yes, very. Someone needs to get her out of my face."

Brittany glared at her. Sure, she may have been—okay, she was _definitely_—drunk by this point, but she wasn't going to let this girl put her down.

"Weren't you leaving for a more private place?" She briefly acknowledged the fact that she sounded like a kindergartener, but then decided that she didn't care.

Kristen rolled her eyes and practically yanked Alvin off the couch. Brittany looked at him, surprised by the fact that he hadn't said a word the whole time. Usually he'd make some smartass comment about everyone fighting over him or whatever.

"Why are you being so boring, Alvin?" Brittany blurted.

Alvin raised his eyebrows. People had called Alvin many things, but "boring" certainly wasn't one of them. Caught off guard, he opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it.

Kristen whipped her head toward Alvin, her thick reddish-blonde hair smacking Brittany in the face. "Got anymore crazy ex-girlfriends, or is she the only one?"

That was it; something inside Brittany totally snapped.

"YOU BITCH!"

Brittany didn't hear people gasp and yell as she lunged forward and yanked Kristen's hair back with all her might. Kristen screamed in pain when her head was pulled backwards.

"Cat fight!" someone yelled. Kristen pried Brittany's hand off her hair and turned. Her eyes were wild with rage, but Brittany wasn't afraid. Between the alcohol and her adrenaline, she felt as if she could take on the world.

"Bring it on, Barbie!" Brittany challenged.

Kristen through herself forward to pounce on Brittany, but Brittany dodged out of the way, leaving Kristen to stumble on the floor. Once the girl was on the ground, Brittany jumped on top of her, yanking Kristen's hair and forcing all her weight on her thin stomach.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Kristen shrieked, flailing her arms. Her long fingernails dug into Brittany's face, but the Chipette ignored the pain as she pulled Kristen's hair even harder.

There were plenty of excited hollers from the party, particularly the guys. Many began to crowd around, probably hoping to see some kind of wardrobe malfunction.

"You picked the wrong person to mess with!" Brittany yelled, managing to get a few scratches in herself. She didn't even know what she was doing anymore. It was like having an out-of-body experience.

"You're CRAZY!" Kristen screamed before spitting in Brittany's face.

"Oh, I'll show you crazy!" Brittany shrieked. She balled her hand into a fist, ready to punch Kristen in the face, when she felt herself being lifted off of the girl's body.

"LET ME GO!" Brittany screeched, kicking wildly as she was dragged away from the living room. Tears began to blur her vision, but she managed to get a quick glimpse of Alvin. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"PUT ME DOWN!" Brittany was hit by cool air and realized she was outside.

"Calm down," a voice said firmly. When Brittany recognized who it was, she instantly stopped struggling.

Simon put her down, right next to his car. He unlocked the door and told her to get in.

"But Simon… we can't… leave yet," Brittany said between pants. Tears stung her eyes, but she found herself smiling. She had so much adrenaline that she didn't know what to do with herself. "We didn't even get to dance together."

"Just get in," Simon muttered, opening the passenger door. "Now."

"Simon…"

"Just get in!" Simon repeated, much firmer this time.

"No need to be rude," Brittany sneered, getting in the car. She spent most of the car ride talking about how much of a bitch Kristen was and how Simon wasn't being fun.

As soon as Simon put the car in park in the driveway, Brittany stumbled out and threw up in a bush. Simon rushed over and held her hair back, even though he was cursing the entire time. If Brittany was sober, she probably would have found this amusing; Simon never swore.

Feeling weak, Brittany collapsed on the cool grass. Slowly, she began to process what had just happened: She had just beaten up a girl at a party because she kissed Alvin. The more she thought about it, the stupider and more pathetic it sounded.

Her head pounded. Her throat felt scratchy and dry. She felt confused, exhausted, and, although Simon was with her, incredibly alone.

The tears came immediately. It wasn't a pretty cry, either. It was an ugly, red-faced, snotty-nosed cry. Normally Brittany would have been embarrassed, but at the moment, she was too drunk and upset to care.

"Simon," she wailed as she sat up. She hadn't noticed that he had sat down next to her. "I know I really messed up, and you probably hate me, but could you just hold me right now?"

Before Simon could answer, Brittany threw herself at him, staining his shirt with tears. As Brittany sobbed, she felt a flicker of warmth when she felt Simon's arms gently wrap around her.

"I'm s-sorry Simon," she cried, her salty tears stinging the fresh cuts Kristen had stratched on her cheeks. Her mind still felt hazy, which was annoying. She desperately wanted to sober up, but she was too far gone for that to happen anytime soon. "I'm so s-stupid."

Simon didn't say anything for a few moments; he just silently patted her back. Finally he said, "We'll talk tomorrow. I think you should go to bed."

All Brittany could do was sniffle and nod. She wasn't sure what happened after that, but somehow she ended up in her own bed a few minutes later. The last thing Brittany remembered before she passed out was Simon looking at her, a mixture of sadness and disappointment on his face, sighing loudly as he gently closed her bedroom door with a soft _click._

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><p>Oh no! Why does someone always get drunk in my stories too? Please review!<p>

Song Used: _Bleeding Love,_ by Leona Lewis


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been a while. School. Work. Life. You get the picture. Anyway, I've actually had this chapter in my head for a long time. It felt good to finally write it all down. Hope you like it.

* * *

><p><em>I know when he's been on your mind<em>

_That distant look is in your eyes_

_I thought with time you'd realize_

_It's over_

_Over_

* * *

><p>It was official: Brittany hated herself.<p>

As she yanked on a pair of shorts, she wondered, for the hundredth time that day, how she could have possibly been so stupid last night. It wasn't necessarily the fact that she drank too much alcohol; she shouldn't have done it, but she knew she could have easily been a tolerable, less annoying drunk. Instead she decided to act like a complete moron and get into a pointless cat fight.

Brittany sat at her vanity and sighed. A tired version of herself stared back in the mirror; it would take a lot of conceder to cover up the red scratches on her cheeks and the purplish tint under her eyes.

She was planning on going over to Simon's house; they spoke briefly on the phone after Brittany had woken up at noon. The details of the night before were fuzzy, but she remembered fighting a girl and puking in the bushes across the street. She called Simon and apologized profusely. He said he forgave her, but Brittany wasn't so sure; he seemed distant and annoyed when she talked to him. So Brittany practically begged him to meet with her, just so they could hang out. Brittany hoped a relaxing evening between the two of them could ease the tension.

As the day went on, Brittany slowly recalled more about what had happened. She remembered that it was Simon who pulled her off of Kristen (or Kristy or Kristine or whatever her name was), and she remembered singing and dancing like an idiot in Joey's living room. She also remembered that the reason she hit the girl in the first place: she was jealous that she was with Alvin.

That fact alone made Brittany hate herself.

Well, maybe not _hate_, but she was certainly disappointed. At the party, Brittany had tried to convince herself (and everyone else) that she was trying to keep Kristen away from Alvin to protect Kristen. In reality, she didn't give a damn about Kristen. She just wanted Alvin to herself.

Brittany groaned at the thought. Okay, maybe she_ did_ hate herself.

After a fairly successful attempt at covering up her post-hangover/catfight face with make-up, Brittany went to the Seville house across the street.

She let herself inside and headed for the kitchen. She heard the television in the living room, and figured Alvin and all his laziness would be watching it. Alvin was the last person she wanted to see at the moment; hell, she'd rather have a freaking tea party with that Kristen girl than see Alvin.

Unfortunantly, Brittany didn't immediately notice that someone was rummaging through the refridgerator. She hoped it was Theodore, but the second the heavy door shut, her worst fears were confirmed.

Alvin, who was holding a can of soda, raised his eyebrows when he saw her. Brittany felt like she was going to throw up as she waited for an insult, or some sort of unflattering remark about her behavior the night before.

But it never came. Without a word, Alvin began to walk away.

"Wait!"

Brittany almost gasped. Had she actually just told him to _wait?_ Did that come out of her mouth? Why would she want him to wait? Why couldn't she just let him leave… let it go?

To her dismay, Alvin stopped walking and slowly turned toward her. "Yes?"

Brittany swallowed. "I, uh… I'm sorry for what happened last night."

Alvin just looked at her for a few seconds before the tiniest smirk showed up on his face. "For what? Beating up the girl I was with, telling everyone how terrible I am, or calling me boring?"

"I called you boring?" Brittany didn't remember that.

Alvin let out a small laugh. "Yeah, although I guess you weren't wrong."

"Well, I'm sorry for everything," Brittany said, relaxing a little. This wasn't so bad. "I wasn't myself last night."

"S'okay," Alvin said before he began to walk again.

Brittany found herself frowning. That was easy…_ too_ easy.

"Alvin, wait!"

He stopped again and Brittany cursed herself. Why couldn't she just let it be easy?

"Why are you… I mean, how come you're…" Brittany struggled to find the right words. "Why are you acting like this?"

Alvin blinked. "Like what?"

"I don't know," Brittany said, feeling awkward. "You're just not… _you_. You keep ignoring me, even though I've been nothing but nice to you. You don't even insult me…"

"You want to be insulted?" Alvin raised an eyebrow.

"No," Brittany muttered. "I just find it strange that you don't acknowledge me at all. I'm not looking to be your best friend or anything, but I don't know why you ignore me."

Alvin stepped closer, looking very serious. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"What are you talking about?" Why would she _want_ to be ignored?

Alvin took a deep breath. Between this and his small smirk a few moments before, it was by far the most emotion Brittany had seen from him in months.

"During winter break, you kept telling me to leave you alone," Alvin explained calmly. "So that's what I've been trying to do; leave you alone. But it's kind of hard to do, since you're always trying to start a conversation, or get into fights with girls who like me…"

"I thought we could be friends!" Brittany snapped. "What's so wrong about that?"

Alvin blinked a few times and smiled at her as if she was a confused 5-year-old. "Brittany, you know we can't be friends. That's impossible."

Brittany felt her jaw drop. What did he mean by that?

"So you don't want to even be on friendly terms?" Brittany asked in awe. "You'd rather be immature about this and just not speak to me?"

Alvin shrugged. "It's better than being friends."

Brittany felt angry at this point. She put her hands on her hips. "Why can't we be friends? What's wrong with just having a nice, friendly relationship?"

"Everything," Alvin replied simply, in a way that she felt stupid for not understanding what he meant by that.

Brittany wanted to ask him, but Simon entered the kitchen. Alvin walked out of the room, but before he did, his eyes lingered on Brittany much longer than they had in a long, long time.

"Did I interrupt something?" Simon asked, noting his brother's odd exit.

"Not at all." Her head was spinning, but she didn't want to think about this now. "Let's get out of here."

…

Brittany closed her eyes and leaned into the leathery seat, feeling the warm, summer wind kiss her cheeks. After a quiet, slightly awkward dinner, she and Simon drove to the empty parking lot near the local park. Simon had turned off the engine and unrolled the windows. It was obvious that he wasn't sure why Brittany wanted to go there, but he didn't ask any questions.

Truthfully, Brittany wasn't sure why she wanted to sit in the abandoned park with Simon. After they finished eating, Simon asked if she wanted to go home. Brittany said no, so they drove around town purposelessly for ten minutes until Brittany suggested they stop here. The dark parking lot looked quiet and private, and that was sort of what Brittany wanted at the moment; quiet and privacy.

"You're awfully quiet tonight," Simon observed softly.

Brittany shrugged and opened her eyes. "I'm just tired, I guess."

She glanced to her left and saw Simon nod. He stared straight ahead at the empty playground. Brittany studied him; he looked a bit sad. She figured he was still upset about last night, even though he said he was okay with it during dinner. But he didn't seem to be okay with it. Something about him was missing tonight. He was reserved and quiet, and almost too polite, as if he and Brittany had just met and he wanted to be careful how he acted around her.

"Simon," Brittany said, her voice piercing the silent air. "Are you still mad about last night?"

Simon looked at her. "No."

"Are you sure?" Brittany asked. "It doesn't seem like you…"

"Its fine, Brittany," Simon interrupted. "Really."

Brittany was still unconvinced, but she managed to give him a sweet smile, which he returned. It seemed to ease the tension a bit, which made Brittany feel greedy; she wanted the tension to disappear completely, and she knew just what to do.

Without a second thought, Brittany leaned forward and brought her lips to Simon's. It was the first time they had kissed, and Brittany had been wondering what it would be like for months now. She had a feeling that this kiss would decide exactly how much they felt for each other.

Simon seemed surprised, but kissed her back. Brittany sighed into his mouth, forgetting how good it felt to kiss someone. However, something wasn't quite right. The kiss was not bad, but something was lacking; there was no spark. Her heart didn't pound with excitement, she was too focused on her own thoughts, and she didn't feel comfortable.

_But I have to make this work,_ she thought, deepening the kiss. _I have to try._

Brittany pulled Simon closer, longing, wanting, _hoping_ that she could feel _something._ This could work. Simon was a great guy. She just needed to try harder.

She sighed deeper this time and began to let her tongue wander. Suddenly, she was suddenly pushed back. Her eyes snapped open to see Simon looking at her, his face flushed and eyes widened.

"Brittany," he breathed. "What… what are you…"

"I'm sorry," Brittany blurted. She wanted to say more, but the words escaped her. She felt her face burn, and had never been so embarrassed in her life.

The silence was almost unbearable. Brittany hid her face in her hands, wanting to die on the spot. Why did she have to attack Simon like that? He probably thought she was a crazy slut or something…

_Everyone thinks I'm crazy,_ she thought, recalling last night.

"Brittany," Simon finally said, his voice a bit hurt. "It's… it's all right. I'm not mad…"

Brittany's head shot up. "It's not all right!" she cried. "I'm acting like a crazy person! I… I just…"

"Brittany," Simon said, his voice insanely calm. "Did you actually want to kiss me?"

Brittany frowned at him. "Why would else would I do it?"

Simon spoke slowly, as if he was choosing his words carefully. "I mean, did you _want_ to kiss me or did you feel like you had to?"

Brittany tensed as she considered the question. She kissed him because she thought it was something _he _wanted, something that would cause him to forgive her. She kissed him because she was curious to see what it would be like. She wasn't overcome with a burning desire to try it, she was simply curious and hopeful that it would take things off her mind.

So, no, she hadn't really _wanted_ to kiss him. But she couldn't tell him that.

"I wanted to see what it was like," Brittany muttered, which was sort of true. "This _thing_ we have between us… I wanted to see how deep it was…"

"And?" Simon looked at her closely.

"And…" Brittany trailed off. She couldn't do this to him; it was obvious that he felt something for her, and, while she used to feel something for him, she just couldn't think of him as anything more of a friend.

She hated admitting that to herself, but it was true. She and Simon just weren't meant to be anything more than friends.

"You didn't feel anything, did you?" Simon offered. Brittany looked away, but Simon continued. "Its okay, Brittany. I know you _tried_ to feel something, which I suppose I can appreciate."

"I'm sorry, Simon," Brittany murmured, staring at the flickering streetlights.

"Don't be. But… you know what this means, don't you?"

"What?"

"It means that you still love him."

Brittany's head whipped around to face Simon, who was looking at her with a calm, soft expression. She was sure her expression was completely opposite.

"W-what did you say?"

"You still love him." Simon gave her a small smile. "You tried liking me, but in the end, it always comes back to Alvin." His smile wavered. "I know you've been denying it, and I did my best to believe you. But last night, you made your feelings pretty clear."

Brittany's lips parted. So that's why Simon was so upset; he realized that she still had feelings for Alvin.

"But its okay, Brittany," Simon said, for the hundredth time that night. "It's true, I still have some lingering feelings for you, but I realize and accept that you are in love with someone else—"

"I never said I was in love with him," Brittany said, cutting into Simon's speech, which sounded suspiciously rehearsed.

"You didn't need to," Simon replied. "Luckily for you, he still feels the same way about you—"

Brittany actually laughed. "Simon, Alvin doesn't give me the time of day—"

"He thinks that's what you want," Simon said. "Brittany, Alvin is dying to talk to you, to give you attention, but he thinks you want to be left alone. He's actually being remarkably unselfish by doing this, which further leads me to believe that he still has feelings for you."

"You don't know what he's thinking," Brittany muttered, although Simon was making a lot of sense.

"Of course I know what he's thinking," Simon said confidently. "Want to know what else I know he's thinking?" Brittany didn't answer, but Simon continued. "I think that, while he does think you want to be left alone, he also knows that ignoring you is driving you crazy. I think he's secretly hoping that you'll realize how much you want him."

"That's ridiculous," Brittany snorted, even though it also made perfect sense.

"Is it?" Simon was unable to hide his grin. "Alvin may not get the best grades in school, but he is incredibly smart what it comes to people and getting certain reactions from them."

"So, what, you're saying he's manipulating me?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, to an extent."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that really makes me want to come crawling back to him."

Simon shrugged. "He just wants you back, Brittany, and he'll stop at nothing to get you. He's just being more subtle this time around."

Brittany swallowed and stared ahead. Everything Simon was telling her added up and seemed perfectly logical. Her mind drifted to the conversation she and Alvin had earlier, and when Alvin told her they couldn't be friends. She realized he was right; in the twelve years they had known each other, they had either been enemies or lovers. Nothing in between.

_What's wrong with having a nice, friendly relationship?_

_Everything._

Alvin had basically told her that he still wanted her, and she had totally over-looked it.

"Why does talking to you feel like a psychology lesson?" Brittany asked Simon.

Simon chuckled. "I'm just trying to help. I care about both of you, and don't like seeing either of you unhappy."

A thought suddenly came to Brittany that made her feel slightly sick.

"Okay, Professor Simon, explain this," she said. "If Alvin wants me, then why is he hooking up with other girls every night?"

"Distraction," Simon stated without thinking. "He thinks that focusing on other girls will keep his mind off of you, which he wants because you're driving him crazy. He also may be trying to convince himself that he's interested in someone else to…" Simon trailed off.

Brittany blushed yet again, and Simon looked uncomfortable. He had basically described what Brittany had been doing to him.

"I never thought of you as a distraction," Brittany said, hoping to clear the air a bit. "I never meant to, anyway. Simon, I really did have some feelings for you at one point. But then I came back for the summer, and I saw Alvin, and things just got… complicated. I wasn't trying to use you, honest."

Simon's grin relaxed her a bit. "Thank you, Brittany." He sighed. "Well, I guess we should be getting home."

"Simon," Brittany said, somewhat nervously. "When we kissed… did _you_ feel anything?"

Simon's sad smile returned. "No," he admitted. "But I kind of wanted to."

Brittany nodded. She wanted to say she was sorry, but she figured he already knew that.

Simon started the car and they headed home. After a few minutes of silence, Brittany finally blurted, "Why would he still like me? He's already proven he could get any girl he wants. Why won't he move on?"

Simon frowned. "Are you implying that he's too good for you?"

"No," Brittany said, even though it certainly sounded like that's what she meant. "I'm just sort of surprised, that's all… I mean, if he still likes me—"

"He does," Simon said sharply.

"What makes you so sure?"

"He's miserable," Simon said. "He has an emptiness to him that he's never had before. I've seen the way he looks at you what you're not paying attention. He's angry at me because he thinks you like me. I could go on—"

Brittany swallowed. "You're right, you know. About me. I still… I.." Brittany sighed, knowing admitting it out loud would feel good. "I love him."

Simon looked at her and smiled. "I know."

Minutes later, the car was parked in Simon's driveway. After the engine was cut, neither of them made a move to get out.

"So are you going to talk to him?" Simon asked.

Brittany stared at her hands on her lap. "I don't know. I don't even know if he feels the same way…" Brittany glared at Simon before he could say anything. "I know that _you_ think he does, and I appreciate your theories and logic and whatever, but you could still be wrong."

"I not wrong," Simon said with a smirk. He was suddenly very reminiscent of Alvin, which made Brittany's stomach swoop a bit.

"Whatever." Silence. "Hey Simon?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being so… cool about this." She felt awkward again. "I mean, I'm sure this isn't easy for you, considering… well, you know."

Simon shrugged. "I guess in the back of my mind, I knew this was going to happen. I'll get over it. I just want you two to be happy."

Brittany felt her heart expand. He was being so unbelievably amazing about all this. Simon was truly an amazing friend.

"Thanks for everything, Simon."

"You're welcome."

After a brief hug, Brittany said, "Don't worry, I know there's someone out there for you."

"I'm not worried," Simon said, getting out of the car. "But thanks. Good night, Brittany."

"Good night."

Brittany crossed the street to her house, her head feeling heavy with thoughts and emotions. She felt happy, nervous, excited, doubtful, and scared at the same time. To sum it up, she felt confused.

Moments later, Brittany found herself nestled in bed, still unsure exactly what to think and feel.

She figured she still had a chance with Alvin; it was likely that he still liked her, but what if he didn't? If he did, should she get back together with him? After all, he had hurt her deeply… but maybe he had changed. She wouldn't know; the few times she had seen him, he had been emotionless.

The thoughts kept coming at the speed of light. Brittany had never been one to over-think things; she usually just went with the flow and didn't give things a second thought. But when it came to Alvin, her brain would go into over-drive.

_Maybe that's my problem. Maybe I should listen to my heart and not my head…_

With that branded in her mind, Brittany was able to drift into a peaceful sleep. Because her heart told her that everything would be okay.

* * *

><p>AN: Gotta give some credit to Simon in this chapter. He likes Brittany, but he knows that she still loves Alvin and Alvin still loves her, and he just wants everyone to be happy. And in case you're wondering, Simon wasn't completely in love with Brittany; he definitely felt something for her, but he wasn't head-over-heels or anything. That may explain why he wasn't willing to put up a fight for her. But still, liking someone who doesn't like you back is hard. Poor Simon… but I'm sure things will work out for him someday.

Song Used: _All or Nothing _(O-Town)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I think you guys will really like this chapter. And that's all I'm going to say.

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><p><em>I'm here without you baby<em>

_But you're still on my lonely mind_

_I think about you baby_

_And I dream about you all the time_

* * *

><p><em>This is a mistake.<em>

_What the hell am I doing here?_

_This is stupid._

Brittany pushed her bangs away from her forehead and paced around the room. _Alvin's room._

After her night with Simon, she was able to get a few hours of sleep before a dream woke her up at two in the morning. Somehow that dream made her pull on a sweater and sneak into Alvin's room, climbing the tree by his bedroom window. She hadn't climbed that tree since she was twelve years old, but she didn't know how else to sneak in so no one would hear her; and her dream told her she had to see Alvin now.

Alvin was constantly in Brittany's unconscious thoughts, but this time was different. Dream Alvin had told her to talk to him.

"_You have to admit your feelings,"_ he had said.

"_I don't know if I can,"_ Dream Brittany replied. _"I don't know if I want to be with you after what you did."_

Then he kissed her. Brittany was shocked when this made her wake up; the kiss had felt so real.

She knew it sounded ridiculous, but something about that kiss set something off inside her. She felt an alarming urge to be with Alvin at that moment. She needed him.

So she quietly left her house and climbed a freaking tree up to Alvin's bedroom window. She didn't even risk going through the back door, even though it was probably unlocked. But she didn't want Simon, Theodore, and_ especially_ not Dave to catch her.

She had been waiting in Alvin's empty room for nearly twenty minutes and the adrenaline was draining out of her system. She decided that she was only there because of a lust-driven dream, and that it was stupid.

_So why am I still here?_

Brittany couldn't bring herself to leave. As crazy as this whole thing was, she still wanted to be with him, to tell him everything. So, assuming he would be home from whatever party he was at soon, she stayed, absently inspecting the sports trophies on his desk and kicking dirty clothes on the floor into piles. Occasionally she would run a finger over the fresh scrapes on her legs from climbing the damn tree…

She kept telling herself that she could do this. She would tell Alvin what she felt, and if he rejected her, then so be it. But she couldn't keep going on like this.

Brittany suddenly heard whispering and rustling from outside; she had forgotten to close the window.

She cautiously poked her head out the window, the cool summer breeze tickling her face. She looked down and saw Alvin holding hands with a half-drunk girl, pulling her around the house. It was eerily similar to what she witnessed last week when he was with the dark-haired girl. Only this girl was taller and had curly blonde hair. Brittany caught a glimpse of her face and, of course, she was gorgeous.

Brittany broke into a sweat and felt her heart practically pound through her chest. She hadn't seen this coming; she _should_ have, but didn't.

The Chipette remembered that Simon had told her that Alvin was hooking up with other girls for distraction, but that reason wasn't cutting it for Brittany. If he truly wanted to be with her, he wouldn't be sneaking other girls into his bedroom at night.

As confident and determined as she had been to get into Alvin's room, she was now incredibly desperate to get out.

Brittany watched Alvin and the girl stagger to the back of house before sticking her whole head out the window. She gulped when she looked at the ground beneath her; heights were never her strong suit. Going up was always much easier than coming down.

Her breathed hitched when she heard a door downstairs softly close. She had to get out _now._

Brittany silently climbed out of the window and sat on the sill. The closest branch wasn't so close after all, and she wondered how she managed to climb up here in the first place.

Hearing shuffling, Brittany knew she didn't have any more time to think about it. She carefully extended her legs toward the nearest branch and threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around the tree trunk.

Relieved that the scariest part was over, Brittany managed to climb down to the next branch. As soon as she did, she heard Alvin enter his room, his blond friend whispering behind him. Then she heard the unmistakable sign of kissing, and Brittany climbed faster, desperate to get away from the heart-wrenching scene.

As soon as her sandals hit the grass, Brittany took off running for her house. Tears blurred her vision. She couldn't believe it; she was about to tell him everything. How could she forget that he was making out with other girls?

When Brittany reached her bedroom, she fell into her bed and cried, muffling her sobs by burying her face in a pillow. Despite what Simon said, she knew there was no way Alvin still liked her. There just couldn't be.

She didn't know how long she had cried, but eventually the tears dried out; there was nothing left. The Chipette rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling, determined not to dream about him tonight.

Unfortunately, she had two dreams about Alvin after she fell asleep, and she couldn't bring herself to regret either one.

…

Brittany had never been so frustrated in her life. She knew she shouldn't like Alvin. He had cheated on her. He'd been ignoring her. He was confusing her. He was sleeping with girls who weren't her. He was obnoxious, self-centered, and annoying.

The list went on and on.

But no matter what Brittany did, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get him out of her head. He'd often invaded her thoughts before, but it had never been this bad. Before, her mind would wander to him when she was relaxing, or when she saw something that reminded her of him. But now it was like he was invading her mind.

When she was making her breakfast, she thought about Alvin. When she was watching television, she thought about Alvin. When Jeanette tripped over shoelaces, she thought about Alvin.

It was sick.

She tried to keep busy. She watched TV, she went shopping with her friends, she read magazines… but nothing worked. Her mind would always drift back to Alvin.

It had been a few days since she had snuck in and out of his room. She was lazily rocking back and forth on the porch swing, staring at the too-familiar house across the street. Every fiber in her body urged her to march over there and see if Alvin was home, but her brain wouldn't allow her feet to carry her over. She was willing to bet anything that, despite the fact it was past noon, there was a girl curled underneath Alvin's blankets.

And that fact alone made Brittany sane enough to stay put.

Brittany saw Eleanor, clad in athletic shorts and a tank top, jog up the sidewalk and climb the porch steps. Her iPod was blasting out some rock song that Brittany didn't care for.

Eleanor pulled her earphones out and gave her sister a small grin.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," Brittany replied, staring at her fingernails. Thanks to Eleanor's presence, she was reminded of the secret fling her sister had with Alvin when Brittany was away at school. True, Brittany and Alvin had been broken up when it happened, but it still bothered her for a number of reasons.

Eleanor bit her bottom lip and stared at a tiny frog perched on the railing. It was obvious that she wanted to talk to Brittany, but sensed that Brittany wasn't in the mood to talk (which she wasn't). Brittany hoped Eleanor would do the smart thing and leave her alone. Jeanette would…

"Are you okay, Britt?" Eleanor blurted.

Brittany sighed. So much for wishful thinking.

"I mean, you've been really quiet lately-"

"I've had a lot on my mind," Brittany snapped.

"Want to talk about it?"

Brittany looked up and met her sister's concerned, brown-eyed stare. They had been civil to each other, but they hadn't had an actual conversation in months. Brittany wasn't so sure she was ready for a full heart-to-heart.

"I'd rather be alone," Brittany said, unable to keep the iciness out of her voice.

Eleanor frowned slightly. "Fine," she said, putting her hand on the door knob.

Brittany took a deep breath. Who was she kidding? She didn't want to be alone.

"Ellie," she said, closing her eyes. Once again, she wondered why she couldn't just let things go. Her life would be so much easier. "Wait."

Her eyes opened and she saw Eleanor pause.

"I... I do need to talk to someone."

Eleanor nodded and slowly walked over and sat next to her sister on the swing.

"I still think about him, Ellie." Brittany decided there was no point in stalling.

Eleanor pursed her lips. "By him, you mean Alvin?"

Brittany swallowed and nodded.

"Okay," Eleanor said slowly. "What are you thinking about him?"

Brittany stared across the street. "I think… no, I _know_ I still have feelings for him."

There was a pause. For a moment, Brittany didn't acknowledge it, but then it triggered a thought…

"Do you still like him?" Brittany asked, looking directly at those wide, chocolate eyes.

Eleanor shifted in the swing. "No," she said.

"I don't believe you," Brittany said. This was a mistake, talking to Eleanor about Alvin.

"I don't like him like that, Brittany," Eleanor said firmly. "Maybe I did at one point, but I don't anymore."

"But you liked him during Christmas break, didn't you?"

Eleanor didn't speak for a moment, but eventually said, "Yes."

Brittany snorted. "I shouldn't be talking about this with you—"

"I don't have feelings for Alvin, Brittany," Eleanor said in a no-nonsense tone. "Honest. I haven't for a long time now, and if you don't believe me, I guess that's your choice." Eleanor sighed. "After a while, I realized that he didn't like me back, so I just sort of… gave up. And I'm okay with it now. It happened, and I got over it."

Brittany studied her sister, who looked at peace with the situation. Brittany secretly wanted to know more about this… did Eleanor and Alvin ever have sex? Did Alvin eventually reject Eleanor? When did she get over him? How did she know he didn't like her back? Did he ever like her at all?

But Brittany decided to put her curiosity aside. After all, she had called Eleanor over to talk about _her_.

"Fine," Brittany said. "I believe you."

Eleanor nodded calmly, but Brittany noticed she looked a little relieved. "Now back to you. So you still like him?"

Brittany picked at the polish on her nails. "It's more than that," she muttered.

"What do you mean?" Eleanor asked softly.

Brittany let out a very heavy sigh. "I mean that I love him, Ellie. I'm head-over-heels, can't-get-him-out-of-my-head-in-love."

"Okay," Eleanor said. "So what's the problem?"

"I don't know if he likes me back."

"Why not?"

Brittany frowned, noticing this conversation was very similar to the one she'd had with Simon earlier in the week.

"He hasn't really shown any interest," Brittany answered.

Eleanor smiled. "Well, this is Alvin we're talking about. He's probably messing with you—"

"Well I wish he wouldn't!" Brittany snapped. "Why can't he ever just say what he means?"

"He tried that, remember?" Eleanor said, clearly referring to when he practically stalked her over Winter break. "He's probably just trying a new approach. The only way you'll know is if you talk to him—"

"I wouldn't know what to say," she admitted.

Eleanor let out a little laugh. "You're Brittany Miller. You always know what to say."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and it usually turns out to be something stupid that I regret."

Eleanor shrugged. "Still. You're never at a loss for words. And I think honesty is the best thing you have to offer in this situation. What have you got to lose?"

"What if he rejects me?" Brittany asked. "What if he laughs in my face?"

"I don't think that will happen," Eleanor said thoughtfully. "But if it does, you'll move on. Give yourself some credit, Britt. You're a strong person."

Brittany blinked in surprise, touched at what her sister had just said. "Thanks, Ellie."

Eleanor grinned and nodded. Then the sisters sat in a comfortable silence and looked at the house across the street.

"So," Eleanor was first to speak. "When are you going to talk to him?"

"Not right now," Brittany said without thinking. "I need to… think first."

"But soon, right?"

"Yeah," Brittany said after a pause. "Soon."

Eleanor got up from the swing and walked toward the door. She stopped for a second and looked over at Brittany.

"In case you're wondering," she said softly, "Alvin only cheated on you once… it was that one time on Christmas Eve, when you caught him."

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"He told me."

"And you believe him?"

Eleanor grinned. "Yeah, I do. And I think you should too."

Before Brittany could say anything else, her sister disappeared into the house, leaving her alone with a heavy mind and an even heavier heart.

…

Three days later, Brittany found herself staring out her bedroom window as rain poured out of the dark sky. It wasn't the rain she was watching though; she was focused on the figure sitting on the Seville's porch.

Brittany wondered why Alvin was home at nearly nine o'clock on a Friday night. Wasn't there some wild party he was supposed to be at? Wasn't there some hot girl waiting to be made-out with? Why had he broken his summer party routine?

Brittany squinted through the rain, trying to read Alvin's expression. She longed to see what he looked like; maybe he was hurting as much as she was. It was unlikely, but maybe he felt lonely too.

She felt a sudden pang of sadness in her heart. How could someone who lived right across the street feel so far away? She found herself missing him so much; missing how he kissed her, missing how he could make her laugh, missing how he smelled (like fabric softener and cinnamon gum). She just missed… _him._

_He's right there. Go get him._

Brittany shook her head at the thought. It was late. And raining.

_So? _

She gazed at him for a while, but gasped when she saw him look up at her window. Despite being several feet away, she could tell he was definitely looking. She wondered if he could see her. For some reason, she hoped he would.

Brittany clutched the window pane and stared back. Alvin moved slightly, his face catching the dim glow of a street light. He looked calm, yet somehow intense at the same time. Brittany had a strong feeling he could see her.

Taking a deep breath, Brittany forced herself to look away. She stared at her bed a few minutes before finally saying, "That's it."

Without bothering to put something on to shield her from the rain, Brittany headed downstairs, slipped on her flip-flops, and ran out the door before she could change her mind.

The moment Brittany stepped outside, she was greeted hundreds of thick rain drops. As she marched across the street, all she could hear was the rain slapping against the street and sidewalk. By the time she reached the Seville's yard, she was soaked.

Alvin remained on his seat, although his eyes widened slightly with amusement.

Brittany stood by the steps, unable to bring herself onto the dry porch. She figured if she got rejected, it would be easier to make a quick escape without having to deal with running down stairs.

"Do you have any feelings for me at all?" she yelled over the rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance. "I need to know, Alvin! Do you still… do you feel _anything?_"

Brittany's words hung in the air for a few moments, giving her plenty of time to fear the worst. She noticed that she was crying; salty tears blended with fresh rain on her face.

Alvin slowly stood up, and Brittany's heart pounded even harder than it had been. Alvin stared at her for a few seconds before taking long, quick strides toward her. Before she could react, he pulled her close and brought her mouth to his.

Brittany kissed him back, throwing her arms around his neck. All of her fears and worries vanished, leaving her with a feeling of pure bliss. Kissing Alvin was the only thing that mattered.

She wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Time ceased to exist.

Finally, Alvin gently pulled away, leaving Brittany dazed, and dissappointed that he had stopped what they were doing.

Alvin, who was breathing heavier than usual, leaned over and rested his forehead on Brittany's. Her heart fluttered when he gave her that beautiful, perfect, evil little smirk.

"Does that answer your question?"

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><p>Please review! I hope you were satisfied (although this story isn't over yet!).<p>

Song: Here Without You (3 Doors Down)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updating! Anyway, this is the final chapter of _All or Nothing._ I'm still not really sure why I wrote this story… I guess to give Alvin and Brittany a happy ending after _Last Christmas_. This isn't my best work, but I had fun writing it, and I hope you guys liked it. Thanks to everyone who took time to read this story and a BIG thanks to whoever reviewed it or put it on their favorites list. Well, here's the ending!

**EDIT: Hey, everyone, thanks to some reviews, I realized I left a few things out... so I added some extra stuff. I guess I got in such a big hurry to finish the story, I forgot about some important things. So, here is NEWLY EDITED version of the final chapter!**

* * *

><p><em>Hard as I try I know I can't quit<em>

_Something about you is so addictive_

_We're falling together, you'd think that by now I'd know_

'_Cause here we go again_

* * *

><p>Brittany couldn't remember the last time she had felt so carefree and happy. She had forgotten that kissing Alvin usually had that effect on her. Everything just felt so utterly <em>wonderful.<em>

Too bad it had to end.

They had been kissing (well, it was beginning to move a little bit past kissing) on the living room couch for what seemed like hours. Beautiful, blissful hours. If it was up to Brittany's body, they would continue, but her brain had different ideas.

"Alvin," she breathed, pulling back slightly.

Unsurprisingly, Alvin ignored her and put his mouth on hers. Brittany gave in for a few seconds and kissed him back before trying again.

"Alvin," she said. Everything was slightly hazy. "Alvin, we have to stop."

"We'll stop later," Alvin said quickly. He leaned forward to kiss her again, but Brittany yielded him by putting her hands on his chest, which was bare. She hadn't even remembered him taking it off… or had she taken it off?

She shook her head and tried to focus. Maybe it was best to just get to the point.

"So you've liked me this whole time?" she asked him.

"Yes," he replied impatiently. "I never stopped liking you, Brittany, you know that."

"But you ignored me—"

"You asked me to, remember?" He sighed. "So I did. I needed a new approach anyway, and it obviously worked."

He moved forward again and groaned with Brittany pushed him away.

"So this was all part of a plan? This whole time?"

Alvin plopped onto the couch, reluctantly giving up his fight to continue making-out.

"No," he said. "Well, kind of. Yeah…"

"So is it yes or no?" Brittany huffed. She had mixed feelings about this. He had toyed with her emotions. But he did it because he wanted her back.

Alvin looked at her hesitantly. "What do you want the answer to be?"

She honestly didn't know.

"You know what?" She finally said. "It doesn't matter—"

"I was hoping you'd say that."

"It doesn't matter because it brought us back together," Brittany said firmly. She looked at him curiously. "We _are_ back together, right?"

His blue eyes widened. "Uh, _yeah!_ I didn't go through all this to make us not be together!"

Brittany rolled her eyes, although her heart was bursting with joy at his confirmation.

"I think I was the one who had a harder time with all this," she told him.

Alvin snorted. "Do you know how hard it was to ignore you? It doesn't help that you're always skipping around in those short shorts and low-cut tops!"

"I do not!"

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, come on, Britt. You don't think I noticed that you weren't wearing a bra on certain days?"

Her face flushed.

"Then of course there was the night of the party when you got into that cat fight." A grin spread across Alvin's face. "That was so hot."

"I was drunk that night…"

"I have a feeling you would've acted the same way sober."

Brittany didn't think so, but she didn't want to linger on that night anymore. Apparently Alvin didn't either, because he was once again leaning toward her. But Brittany remembered something and pulled back yet again.

He sighed dramatically. "What now?"

"What about all those girls?"

"What girls?"

"Don't play dumb!" she snapped. "It's no secret that you've been a complete man whore these last few months. For all I know, you probably have a nasty disease or something."

Alvin exhaled loudly through his nose. He seemed like he wanted to talk about this as much as Brittany wanted to talk about her drunken girl fight.

"I've only slept with two girls since we broke up," he muttered. "One was a virgin, and I don't think the other one had anything... wrong with her. And they were both a long time ago. I haven't had sex since January, honest."

Brittany scoffed. "Yeah right. I've heard things-"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," Alvin said with narrowed eyes. "Look, I wanted to have sex with other girls, I really did. I thought they would be able to get my mind off of you. But every time I came close..." He sighed and looked slightly embarrassed. "I realized I didn't want to be with anyone but you. So I'd make up some excuse about how it was getting late, or something like that."

"But all those rumors..."

"I didn't say I was a saint," Alvin admitted. "I did some... _things_, and had things done to me, but I haven't actually done the deed in months."

Brittany wasn't sure why, but she believed him. However, something was tugging at her mind.

She chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if she really wanted to ask the question. "Who were they? The two girls you slept with."

He frowned. "Does it matter?"

_It does if one of them was Eleanor,_ she thought.

"No," she said slowly. "I guess it doesn't matter." Although the fact that he didn't answer her made it pretty clear that it was Eleanor. But she decided she didn't care. She didn't really want to know after all. It was all in the past.

"So what should we do about Simon?" Brittany asked.

Alvin gave her a confused glance. "What do you mean? Do you want to throw him a party or something?"

"I _mean_ maybe we should set him up with someone," Brittany said. She still didn't feel right about leading him on.

Alvin rolled his eyes. "I'm sure Nerd Boy can find someone-"

"I say we hook him up with Jeanette."

He widened his eyes. "Uh, okay."

"Seriously," Brittany said. "They'd be really good for each other, don't you think?"

"I guess..."

"Then it's settled." Brittany smiled, feeling satisfied. "We're going to get Simon and Jeanette together."

"Yeah, sure, fine," was Alvin's unfocused response. "But for now, I think we should just-"

"Hold on," she stopped him again. "There's something I need from you before we get back together."

She ignored his bewildered stare. "But I thought we were already-"

"I'll get back together with you," she said slowly, "if you promise me something."

"Anything."

The way he said it made Brittany's chest swell with affection, but she forced herself to look serious.

"I want you to promise me that you'll never, ever cheat on me again."

"I promise." His eyes never left hers.

Brittany grinned. "Good. Now seal it with a kiss."

"Oh, I'll seal it with more than a kiss," he said, his voice dripping with mischief.

Before Brittany knew it, Alvin was kissing her again. After a few minutes, he gently pulled back and looked at her with half-lidded eyes. There was more than lust in them; there was love.

"I love you, Brittany," he said softly. "And I won't lose you again."

The pleasant swooping feeling in Brittany's stomach was impossible for her to ignore, but she smiled and pulled him toward her.

"I know, and I love you too," she said. "But enough with the sappy stuff. Just kiss me."

He grinned. "You're perfect, you know that?"

"Of course I know it." It was Brittany's turn to be the impatient one. "Now kiss me."

"I love you."

"You already said that."

"I know. But I like saying it."

Brittany decided this was the best evening of her life.

"I like hearing it," she admitted. "You know what else I like?"

Alvin sighed, but was unable to hide his smile. "Me kissing you?"

"Exactly."

She yanked him closer and they were kissing again. And everything was absolutely, utterly, 100% perfect.

_The End_

* * *

><p>Song: <em>Here We Go Again<em> by Demi Lovato (perfect Alvin/Brittany song!)


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